Nintendo Trek:Voyager
by Sol-leks1
Summary: Chapter 3 up! Characters from Zelda, Metroid, Starfox, and almost any Nintendo game you name team up to provide you with a hopefully entertaining parody of Star Trek: Voyager
1. Caretaker Part One

Nintendo Trek: Voyager  
Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount Productions. All Nintendo characters belong to Nintendo and Shigeru Miamyoto. I wish Malon was mine though. **drool.** Anyway, enjoy the story.  
Chapter 1  
Caretaker Part One  
  
The Nintendo Federation has since made a treaty with the Koopa Empire. The war between the two is over, but the treaty leaves a large strip of 'neutral' space that the Federation does not patrol. Taking advantage of this fact, the ruthless Koopas raid the planets and colonies in the neutral zone mercilessly. A small band of rebels, calling themselves the Maquis, have risen up to oppose the Koopas. They have antagonized both the Koopas and Nintendo Fleet, who they believe should have fought more for their rights. As we join the story, a lone Maquis Arwing flees from a Koopa warship.  
  
Boom! The fire from the Koopa vessel rocked the small cyber ship. The captain of the ragtag crew gripped his seat. His name was Fox McCloud, and he was worried. He didn't show it, of course, but the shots from the Koopa warship were getting rather close to the warp core. His engineer, Malon Torres assured him that the ship still had some life left in it, but his gut told him that the Koopas were getting close to disabling them. He glanced around the bridge. He knew every face here. At the helm, Zelda, a Sheikah. Logical in all things, but a darn good officer. Malon Torres-half- Kremling, half-Hyrulian, all spunk-was the engineer, one of the best he'd seen in a long time. Ruto controlled the weapons, and was inflicting almost as much damage to the Koopa ship as they were inflicting on the Arwing. They were his three most trusted officers, and the three best on his ship. Another blow rocked the ship. The view screen beeped, and the ugly face of a Koopa appeared. "This is Gul Bowser of the Koopa. Surrender!" "Options?" Fox barked, ignoring the Koopa officer. "Not many," replied Malon, her console displaying the ship's schematics. "Wait.all systems draw from the same source. If we stop firing, the impulse engines will have more power to work with. We should be able to make it into the Badlands. The Koopa ship may be bigger, but that's a disadvantage in the middle of a plasma storm." "Do it!" Fox ordered. Ruto immediately ceased fire and cut power to her console. The small ship sped up just enough to fly into the Badlands ahead of the Koopa warship. Possessed of greater maneuverability, the Arwing dodged around the plasma eddies-the trademark of the Badlands, capable of destroying a ship in one shot. The Koopa warship was not so lucky. A plasma blast caught one of its wings, and it was forced to veer off before it sustained more serious damage. Fox let out a silent sigh of relief. "Let's get out of here." he said. Their celebration was short-lived though. "Sensor are picking something up," Zelda stated, hands flying across her console. "A beam of some sort, tetrion based." "Evasive maneuvers!" barked Fox. The tiny ship lurched in an attempt to avoid the oncoming tetrion beam. It failed.  
  
The sun beat down upon the lush Kakriko landscape. The town had once been a bustle of activity, a popular vacation spot. It now served as a very pretty penal colony. In one part or another of said penal colony, a man was hard at work. He was dressed sparsely in a loose green tunic and matching pants. A lock of blonde hair fell over his face. Absent-mindedly, he brushed it away. He ran his tool over the broken down machine in front of him, deciding where to start. He didn't notice the redheaded woman approaching behind him. "Link Paris, right?" Link jumped, startled. Behind him was a pretty young woman dressed in the command red of Nintendo Fleet. Her red hair was cropped up into a bun. To his surprise, she was smiling warmly. "My name is Kathryn Nabooru. I served with your father on the Game & Watch." Link nodded curtly. "I suppose you're a good officer then. He only accepted the best and the brightest." Nabooru nodded. "I've come for your help." Link arched an eyebrow. "I guess I'm yours." Nabooru frowned slightly. She'd heard of this, his roguish charm. "Three days ago, a Maquis ship entered the Badlands and disappeared. That ship had my security officer aboard. She hasn't reported back in. I've been assigned to find them." "No Nintendo Fleet ship could maneuver through the Badlands." "You haven't seen Voyager." replied Nabooru. "You want me to help track down my old 'friends' in the Maquis?" Link spat out the word 'friends' like a doctor says the word 'Ebola.' "I was only in the Maquis for a week or two. I don't know the locations of most of their secret bases." "You're still the resident expert." said Nabooru, smiling as usual. "And you also know there's no love lost between me and the Maquis. Let me guess who was captaining that vessel. Fox McCloud?" Nabooru nodded, but didn't say anything. "Fox was a patriot, taking up arms to defend his planet from the Koopas. He hated me from the start. As far as McCloud was concerned, I was a mercenary, just in there for the money. And he was right." Nabooru listened intently to the story. Then Link changed the subject. "So what's in it for me if I help you?" "You will come aboard as an observer, and help us track down the Maquis ship. If you cooperate, we'll put in a good word for you at the Parole Board." Link was incredulous. "An observer? I could be the best pilot you've got!" "We've got a pilot already. You would be an observer and nothing more." Link paused a moment before agreeing.  
  
It hadn't taken long to get Link looking acceptable. He was issued a Federation uniform, shaven, and generally cleaned up. Before he knew it, he was on the shuttle pod up to BSL Deep Space Station #9 where Voyager was docked. The pilot rattled off some technical information about the ship, including the bio-neural gel packs that sped up its response time. When they docked, he headed straight for the bar.  
  
A lone Starfleet officer sat at the bar. He had only one pip on his collar, dressed in a green jumpsuit. An ensign, thought Link. Probably fresh out of the Academy. As he watched, the young ensign was accosted by the bartender, a Happy Mask, the salesmen-and con men-of the universe. When the poor Italian ensign made the mistake of saying he was 'warned about Happy Masks,' the cunning alien threw a tizzy fit designed to force the ensign to buy the worthless jewelry he was selling. Link decided to step in and help. "I think I saw someone selling those same stones over there.at half your price." he told the Happy Mask. The bartender moved briskly towards the end of the bar Link pointed to, muttering about unfair business practices. "Didn't they warn you about Happy Masks?" Link asked jovially. The ensign grinned and offered his hand. "My name's Kim. Luigi Kim." "Link Paris. Nice to meet you, Luigi."  
  
The two boarded Voyager soon after, and checked in with the Chief Medical Officer. It was not altogether a pleasant visit. The CMO knew Link-or his reputation at least-and was curt and even a little rude with him. When Luigi asked why the doctor thought so low of Link, the young man brushed him off. "It's a long story, and I'm tired of telling it. Won't take long for someone to tell you."  
  
The bell to the captain's Ready Room beeped. "Come in!" she called out. The doors slid open, and Link and Luigi entered. Nabooru stood up and greeted them warmly. "Thank you, sir." replied Luigi. He realized his error a moment later and amended, "I mean, thank you ma'am." "Ma'am will do in a crunch, Luigi. I prefer Captain. Now at ease, before you strain something." She showed them to the bridge and introduced them to her first officer. While he warmly welcomed Luigi, he only grudgingly accepted Link's hand. Kim looked over his Ops station. "Satisfactory, Mr. Luigi?" asked Nabooru "Yes ma'am." replied Luigi. "It's not crunch time yet. I'll tell you when." And so the ship began to move away from the space station.  
  
Luigi sat down next to Link in the mess hall. "Someone just told me." "Told you it wouldn't take long." Link interrupted. "Is it true?" "Was the accident my fault? Yeah. Pilot error. Took me a while to admit it." "I'm told you falsified the record." Link only nodded. "Why?" "Who cares? I lied." "And then you came forward and admitted it?" Paris nodded again. "I'm going to tell you the truth, Luigi. All I had to do was keep silent, and no one would have known. But the ghosts of the three dead crewmen haunted me in the night. So I confessed. Worst mistake I ever made, but not my last. Once I was thrown out of Starfleet, I joined the Maquis. And on my first assignment, I was caught." "Must have been hard on you, being the son of an admiral." "I think it was harder on my father than on me. Listen, Luigi. They've told you to stay away from me. Listen to them. I'm no good luck charm." Luigi shook his head. "I don't need anyone to pick my friends for me." It was then that Nabooru hailed them. They were approaching the Badlands.  
  
Looking over maps and data forwarded by Gul Bowser, they plotted a course, and entered the Badlands. They had only been in for a few minutes when Luigi's console started beeping. "We're being scanned by a tetrion beam of unknown origin. And.great. We're being pursued by a displacement wave." They attempted to neutralize the wave, and failed. They couldn't go to warp in the Badlands. Nabooru had just enough time to shout "Brace for impact!" before the wave engulfed them.  
  
When the wave broke, the bridge was a tangled smoky mess. Casualties were being reported on deck after deck. Corpses littered the ground. Link clawed his way to a console and pulls himself up. The pilot and the first officer were dead. Luigi reported a hull breach on deck 14, and Nabooru ordered a repair team down there. Then Luigi noticed something else on sensors. "There's something out there." "Get me a visual." demanded Nabooru. The view screen fizzled to life, revealing a huge tree-like array floating in front of them. Every few seconds, it let out a pulse of energy. None of them were quite sure what it is. Luigi had more news. "Captain. If my sensors are correct.we're 70,000 light years from our last position. We're.we're on the other side of the galaxy." Everyone stood and gaped, not knowing what to do.  
  
They hovered next to the array, which dwarfed them just as Voyager dwarfed the Maquis Arwing floating next to them. It was the ship they were looking for, but there were no life signs aboard. The array was shielded from their scans. Engineering called in noting that the chief engineer is dead, and the warp core is near breaching. No word from sickbay. Nabooru ordered Luigi and Link to sickbay while she took care of engineering.  
  
Sickbay was burning. Luigi and Link assessed the damage and searched for survivors. None. Both doctor and nurse were dead. Luigi busied himself putting out the flames. After sickbay was pronounced stable, the casualties started pouring in-some on their own, some with assistance. Luigi called out to the computer and activated the Emergency Medical Hologram, a system designed by Dr. Tom Light for use when a 'real' doctor is unavailable. When the EMH materialized, it became clear that the good doctor had modeled him after his own appearance. "Please state the nature of the medical emergency." said the Holodoc. "Multiple percussive injuries." replied Luigi. "Status of your doctor?" "He's dead." Luigi responded crisply. Doc held out his hand, expecting a hypospray to be slapped into it. "The nurse is dead too." Link explained. Annoyed, the EMH grabbed a hypospray himself, and injected it into a bleeding crewman on the table. "When can a replacement doctor be expected?" the doctor queried, finishing up with yet another crewman. "That's going to be a problem, Doc.we're a long way from home." Luigi responded. The EMH moved to the next bed. "Tricorder." he demanded Luigi unstrapped the tricorder from his belt and slapped it into the doc's hands. Holodoc scowled. "Medical tricorder." Link tossed Luigi the appropriate device, and the doctor continued his work. "You'll have to find a new doctor soon. I'm designed only as a short-term emergency supplement to the medical team." Link shook his head. "I've got a feeling you're going to be here for a while, Doc."  
  
In engineering, Nabooru seemed to have the situation well under control. The warp core breach had been averted. Then the bridge contacted her with the news that they were being scanned. Before she could ask what kind of scan, people started to disappear. She tried to shout an order to the computer, but she was gone too.  
  
In sickbay, the Doctor gave a female crewman the once-over. "You're not seriously injured. You may return to your station." She nodded, pushed herself up into a sitting position, and disappeared. Doc blinked, not used to having an order obeyed so quickly. As he looked around him, the rest of the people in sickbay vanished as well. "They forgot to turn me off." he muttered, sitting down on a bio-bed.  
  
Nabooru, Link, Luigi, and some other crewmembers materialized in what looked like an Iowa cornfield. They took some scans, indicating that they were on the Array. As they left the cornfield, they found themselves at a 'Little House on the Prairie' style log cabin, complete with a plump, friendly woman with a tray of cookies standing in the door. Their confusion only increased as more friendly yokels appeared. Glasses of lemonade were being thrust into crewmembers' hands, banjo music was playing, and pretty farmer's daughters were making goo-goo eyes at Link. This would be disconcerting enough in Iowa. In a tree-shaped space station 70,000 light years from home, it was downright scary.  
  
With nerves set on Red Alert, the crew began taking more scans. Link reported that the whole crew was accounted for, scattered throughout the 'farm.' Nabooru nodded. "You and Luigi go look for the holo-generator that's doing this." The two nodded in agreement and set off, just as the plump woman came down, offering corn on the cob, and repeating that she was 'sorry for the inconvenience.'  
  
Link and Luigi found themselves being followed by a friendly ranch dog and one of the aforementioned farmer's daughters. When the girl suggested they go down to the Root Cellar, which, she promised, was nice and private, Luigi pulled out his tricorder and instantly started scanning in that direction. Link, meanwhile, seemed to have his tractors set on the girl next door. "She's only a hologram, Link." Luigi warned. "That's no reason to be rude." replied Link, smiling at the beautiful, young.hologram. Luigi's readings finally got interesting when he scanned a big red barn. "I'm picking up a floracystian life form inside." he stated, heading for the barn. Link followed, choosing duty over booty. The girl attempted to block their way and convince them to look elsewhere-which only made them more determined to see what was in the barn. Luigi detected a holo- generator, and more life signs-Sheikah, and two Hyrulian-behind the back wall. They headed straight for it, but the girl blocked their way. Her face was different now. Angry. "I'm not ready for you yet!" she growled. Behind them, the ranch pup snarled like an attack dog. Link tapped his communicator to contact Nabooru, but the girl backhanded him, knocking him into the wall. He had managed to get the message off, though, and Nabooru and the rest of the crew arrived at the barn. The Delta Quadrant yokels got there first. They were holding pitchforks, and didn't look so friendly anymore. The plump woman stepped forward. "Since none of you wants to try my corn on the cob, we'll proceed ahead of schedule."  
  
Darkness. Screams. Nabooru lay on a bio-bed, illuminated by blue light. She bit back a moan as a needle plunged into her chest.  
  
.And awakened back on Voyager. She hailed the bridge, demanding a status report. An ensign reported that they were on the Array for three days. And the Maquis ship was powering engines. Nabooru ordered a tractor beam. In sickbay, Holodoc followed Link, demanding answers. Link ignored him, and hailed the captain with the news that Luigi had not been returned. He blew out of sickbay and headed back to the bridge.  
  
Nabooru stepped out of the turbolift. The computer reported that only Luigi had not been returned. Hoping that he had been mis-transported, she hailed the Maquis ship. Fox's face appeared on the screen. "Commander Fox McCloud?" "How do you know my name?" Fox asked. "We were sent to find your ship after you disappeared. One of our crewmembers is missing. Is he on your ship?" "No," Fox replied, "But one of our crewmembers is missing too. Malon Torres." "We have the same problem then. It would make sense for us to work together." Fox looked at Zelda, who nodded. The Maquis ship dropped its shield and the three were beamed aboard. Link arrived on the bridge just in time to see the three armed, back-to- back Maquis materialize. Nabooru assured them they wouldn't need their weapons. Slowly, the three lowered their phasers. Nabooru smiled at the Sheikah. "It's good to have you back Mrs. Zelda." Fox's jaw dropped. Zelda stood at attention, and informed Fox that she was Nabooru's chief of security, sent to infiltrate the Maquis. "And deliver us into Nintendo Fleet's waiting hands." finished Fox. "No," corrected the Sheikah. "I was to gather all information on the Maquis that I could. Then I would deliver you to Nintendo Fleet." Fox's face soured even more when he saw Link on the bridge. "Good to see you too, Fox." Link said mock-amiably. "At least Zelda was doing her duty as a Nintendo Fleet officer. What was your reward? Freedom from prison? Rupees? What was your price this time?" Nabooru stepped between them and addressed Fox. "Mr. Link is a member of my crew, and you will treat him with the same respect as you would have me treat one of yours." Fox nodded, and his anger slowly receded. Nabooru reminded them all that their purpose was to find their missing crewmen, and asked for suggestions. Zelda spoke up, hypothesizing that the holo-representation was a sort of waiting room, designed to make them feel comfortable before the experiment was preformed. Nabooru agreed, and decided that she and Fox would take compression phase rifles and search for their missing crewmen aboard the Array. Zelda would also come aboard with them, and attempt to learn as much about the Array as he could. As they left, Link ran up to them. "If this is about Fox." Nabooru began. "It isn't!" Link said sincerely. "It's just that.I don't want to see anything happen to Luigi." Nabooru paused, then nodded her approval. The four strode off the bridge.  
  
Aboard the Array, Nabooru, Fox, and Link walked through the cornfields, guns in one hand, tricorders in the other. There didn't seem to be any life signs. Zelda joined them soon afterward with a similar report. Then they noticed one of the banjo players from before sitting underneath a tree. They converged upon him in seconds. He wasn't happy to see them. "Why art thou doing back? Thou dost not have what I need." "We want our crewmembers back. And to get back home." "Thou art contentious for a minor bipedal species." the 'Banjo Man' laughed. "This 'minor bipedal species' doesn't take kindly to being abducted." rebuked Nabooru, hands on her hips. "Thou dost not have what I need." the old man repeated. "They might. Thou shalt have to leave." Nabooru repeated her demands for their crewmembers, but Banjo Man waved his hand dismissively and explained that they were no longer on the array. Nabooru started to lecture him about responsibility. "No, I do understand that." the old man replied, the lecture striking a chord. "But I hath no choice. There's no time left." "Time for what?" Nabooru demanded. "I must honor a debt that can never be repaid." Nabooru offered him all the Federation resources at their disposal if he would tell them the problem. Banjo Man laughed. "I hath tried things thy puny comprehension would choke on. Thou cannot help." Nabooru repeated her demands to be sent home with her people. The Banjo Man reiterated that there was no time, that 'sending them back was terribly complicated.' In exasperation, he waved his hand dismissively, and the away team vanished and reappeared on Voyager.  
  
Luigi awoke in a strange, green, sterile-looking room. He was surrounded by strangers, who were talking in hushed tones, telling him he was ill. He began to protest that he wasn't ill, until he noticed the strange, lumpy outgrowths on his arms and chest. He wasn't alone. A cry of 'NO!' came from the bed next to him. A red haired woman leaped up from her bed and started knocking the green-robed strangers aside in a rush to get to the door. One of them signaled an alert. Just as Malon Torres reached the door, it opened, another of the strangers beside it. He injected the half-Kremling with a sedative, and led her back to her bio-bed. Luigi looked on in shock.  
  
Captain's log, gamedate 48315.6. We've traced the energy pulses to the fifth planet in the neighboring system. We believe they may have been used in some fashion to transport Luigi Kim and Malon Torres to the planet's surface. Nabooru sat in her darkened quarters, nursing a galactic migraine. Zelda entered, dressed once again in a Nintendo Fleet uniform. She noted that the Array's energy pulses were increasing in frequency, though she had no explanation. Nabooru added that the planet the energy was going too had no water, and no nucleogenic particles, meaning no water could be produced. She decided that an environmental catastrophe must have occurred. "You should get some sleep. The crew will not benefit from the leadership of an exhausted captain." Zelda noted, all business as usual. "You're right, as usual." Nabooru responded with a grin. "I talked to your family before I left. They're worried you." "Sheikah do not worry." Zelda replied, reminding the captain of the Sheikah's practice of suppressing their emotions. "They miss you." Nabooru amended. "I miss them too." Zelda admitted. Nabooru smiled and promised to get her home. Zelda left, leaving Nabooru to stare out into space, and at the Array that had brought them here. 


	2. Caretaker Part Two

Nintendo Trek: Voyager  
  
Chapter 2  
Caretaker Part 2  
  
Captain's log, supplemental: We've discovered a debris field near the Array, with one intact ship and one humanoid life-form. We and the Maquis Arwing are changing course to investigate.  
  
Nabooru strode onto the bridge. Link was at the conn, and the ship was on the view screen. "Hail them." she ordered. The ship vanished, and was replaced by a view of its interior. Not an altogether pleasing view, it resembled the debris field outside. Slowly but surely, the junk began to fall away, revealing the lone occupant of the vessel, who looked like nothing so much as a blue, humanoid hedgehog dressed in ragtag clothing and a pair of red sneakers. He wasn't much to look at. And he was rather ill-tempered as well. "Whoever you are, I found this waste zone first!" Nabooru clears her throat. "We're not interested in this.debris, Mister." The ill-attired hedgehog was surprised. "Sonic. And since you're not interested in my junk, I'm delighted to meet you." "Captain Kathryn Nabooru of the Nintendo Federation vessel Voyager. "An impressive title." Sonic replied with an ingratiating, toothy grin. "I have no idea what it means, but it sounds impressive." Nabooru asked the hedgehog if he knew the area well. "I am famous for knowing it well." he replied. "Do you know anything about the Array?" "Well enough to stay far away from it." Sonic replied. He paused then asked a question. "Were you brought here from another part of the galaxy, whisked over here against your will?" Nabooru nodded. "I take it you've heard this story before." "Oh, millions of times. Well, maybe hundreds. Well, fifty. Would you believe." Sonic trailed off and started over. "The Deku Tree has been bringing ships here for months and." Nabooru interrupted him. "The 'Deku Tree?'" Sonic nodded. "It's what the Kokiri call him. They live on the fifth planet. Did he kidnap any members of your crew?" Nabooru nodded, fully interested now. "It's not the first time." Sonic said, shaking his head. Nabooru considered a moment. "I'd appreciate any help you could give us in finding these Kokiri. They might know where we could find our crewmen." Sonic feigned disinterest. Nabooru realized what he was after. "I assure you, your assistance would not go uncompensated." "There's nothing you could offer me." Sonic replied coyly. "Unless.you wouldn't happen to have any water to spare?" Nabooru grinned. As long as the replicators were online. "Mr. Sonic, if you help us find our missing crewmembers, you can have all the water you want." The hedgehog sputtered and coughed, finally managing to eke out that the proposal sounded reasonable. Nabooru smiled and turned to Zelda. "Go to Transporter Room 2 and beam our new friend aboard. And have his ship tractored into the shuttle bay." "Beam?" Sonic queried, unfamiliar with the term. "We have the technology to transport people or objects from ship to ship instantly, by disassembling your molecules and putting them back together. It's perfectly safe" Nabooru explained, then added, "Is it all right to beam you over?" Sonic held up his hands. One had to admire his willingness to try something so revolutionary. Despite the captain's explanation, he was amazed to find himself standing aboard Voyager. He checked himself to make sure all his body parts were still there. He looked at Zelda, standing at the transporter controls. "Astonishing! You Federations must be an advanced culture." "The Federation contains many cultures." Zelda explained. "I am Shiekah." "Sonic! Good to meet you!" The amiable hedgehog wrapped the Shiekah in a big bear hug. Amazed at all the shiny stuff around him, Sonic began asking question after question about there functions. "It would take to long to explain right now. We should be getting you to your quarters. And perhaps a bath." "A what?" asked Sonic  
  
In the green, sterile-looking room, Ensign Luigi sat on his bio-bed, head in his hands. As another energy burst from the array struck the surface, the Maquis next to him stirred. She looked a little less postal than last time, but she still had a caged animal look on her face. "It's okay." Luigi said, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Kim. Luigi Kim. I'm an ensign aboard the Federation ship Voyager. I was kidnapped from the Array, just like you were." "And what was Nintendo Fleet doing near the Array?" "Looking for you, actually." Luigi admitted "You were trying to capture us!" "Yeah, consider yourself captured. Must have left my phaser in my other pants, though." "Not funny." The half-Kremling paced the floor, impatience and anger on her face. Snarling, she started pounding on the door. "Do you want to be sedated again?" Luigi asked. She growled, and clenched her fists. "You're right, Federation. It's my Kremling side. Its hard to control sometimes." "What's your name, Maquis?" Luigi asked, cautiously and kindly. "Malon. Malon Torres" Now properly introduced, the two sat down to wallow in their individual misery. They didn't have much time though. The door opened, and one of the green-suited men appeared, carrying two sets of clothing, and two pairs of sensible shoes. "Why are we being held here?" Malon growled. Luigi put his hand on her shoulder, but she was holding herself back well enough. "You aren't prisoners. You're honored guests. We're just worried about your medical condition." the blonde man replied. "Our caretaker, the Great Deku Tree sent you here. As long as you aren't violent, you're free to move around as you please." "What are these lumps on my arms and chest?" Luigi demanded, pointing to one of the disfiguring marks as a case-in-point. "We don't know." And as far as Malon and Luigi could tell, he was sincere.  
  
As they moved through the tall corridors, Luigi was the first to notice. "We're underground!" he exclaimed "Indeed." replied their guide. "We Kokiri have been living underground for 500 generations, ever since the Warming began. Before then we lived on the surface, but the Warming turned it into a desert. The Deku Tree opened a path that led us into this natural underground forest, and has provided generously for us ever since." As they walked along, Luigi and Malon noticed that they were drawing a crowd. The Kokiri were dressed plainly and sparsely. Green dresses and tunics mostly. Their guide asked them to forgive the gawking. "We have never seen the Great Deku Tree. When he sends people to us, it is a cause for curiosity." He brought them to a food processor. Two bowls of something resembling soup appeared and he handed them to Luigi and Malon. "Does the Deku Tree provide your meals as well?" Luigi inquired. "Yes. He designed and built this forest city for us after the Warming. The food processors provide nutritional supplements every 4.1 intervals. Its not the more exotic stuff the young folks crave these days, but it keeps you healthy." Luigi and Malon sat down and started eating. The guide then gave them the bad news. "You aren't the first to be sent here. I think the Deku Tree sent you for the protection of your crews, to prevent the spread of the disease. Of all those brought here.none have survived."  
  
As Voyager and the Maquis Arwing approached the fifth planet, Zelda stopped at Sonic's room and hit the controls to open the door. The room had been trashed up pretty well. Sonic's patched-together clothing was strewn across the floor, and Zelda noted with particular distaste the pile of mostly eaten food in the corner. Hearing a strain of off-key singing from behind another door, she opened it...to find Sonic happily burbling in the bathtub. Zelda turned her head away, as much for her own comfort as Sonic's privacy. For his part, Sonic was loving every minute. He couldn't say enough about the freely-available food and water. "All we had for hygiene was a good sand scrub." he said, tossing a glass full of water at his face. He didn't care that only a fraction of it reached his mouth. Zelda reminded him that they needed his help. The hedgehog nodded, and stepped out of the bath, wrapping a towel around himself quickly. He suggested bringing vats of water for barter. Zelda nodded. Sonic had more questions though. "Will the replicators make clothing too? "Yes." Zelda replied. "Would they make me a uniform like yours?" "They most certainly will not."  
  
The surface of the Kokiri home world was blistering hot, and in dire need of some sort of moisturizer. The air shimmered, and the away team appeared: Three Nintendo Fleet, (Nabooru, Zelda, and Link.) one Maquis, (Fox.) and Sonic, back in his leisure suit. As they surveyed their surroundings, they noticed a camp-like settlement nearby. It was a dirty, squalid place, and none too inviting. Link wondered aloud why anyone would want to live here. "Good ore deposits for mining." Sonic explained. "Do the Kokiri do much trading?" asked Nabooru. "These are the Moblins-Ogla." Sonic corrected. Nabooru spun on the hedgehog. She wasn't in the mood for surprises. "The Moblins are the dominant force in this area, divided into sects across various worlds. Some have ore, some have food, some have water. They trade- and kill-for what they need." "You said the Kokiri had our people!" Nabooru hissed. But they had reached the first of the Moblin settlers. Sonic waved his arms and greeted them warmly. The Moblins pulled the hedgehog off his feet and started carrying him to the settlement. It didn't look like a hero's welcome. "I'd like to speak to your Maje, Ingo!" Sonic chirped, as though he was a guest of honor. The Moblins ignored him and slammed him against the wall, weapons trained on the hedgehogs furry blue chest. Looking off to the side, he noticed Maje Ingo, a Moblin bigger, stronger, and with a crazier hairdo than the rest. He stood impassively, letting the fire squad work its will. Until, that is, Sonic said the magic word. "Water! I've got water! Enough to pay my debt and more!" Suddenly intrigued, Ingo called off the lynching. Sonic indicated the Nintendo Fleet officers. "These people have technology that can create water." Ingo strode over to them. Link produced a canteen and handed it to the Maje, who uncorked it, smelled it, tasted it, then drunk the whole thing in one big gulp. "More?" he half-asked, half-demanded. Nabooru smiled and tapped her combadge. "Energize." Two vats of water, each about as big as a dorm room, materialized in front of the Moblins, who were awed by this wizardry. "We need your help." Nabooru explained. "We're trying to find the Kokiri." At her words, a young Kokiri girl appeared in the shadows. Her elfish ears and close cropped green hair did not conceal her black eye and split lip. She looked sad. The Moblins had not treated her kindly. Ingo scoffed at Nabooru. "You can make water from thin air, and you need our help? They only live nine years and they make lousy servants. Look at her. We caught her when she wandered to the surface. Fragile as glass." "The surface?" Nabooru queried. "The 'Deku Tree' gave them access to the only water on the planet-two miles below the surface." explained the Moblin Maje. "The Deku Tree kidnapped two of our crewmen. We're trying to get them back." "Perhaps we could question the girl about how to reach the underground settlement?" Sonic interjected. "I've tried every method I know to persuade her to talk. It's a waste of time." Ingo replied. Sonic suggested that he trade the Kokiri for some more water. Ingo was no fool. He knew water was cheap compared to a technology that could make it. He demanded it. Nabooru explained that it was integrated into her ship's systems, and could not be removed. Ingo snarled and stepped forward, ready to take what he wanted by force. Then Sonic put a weapon to his head. He pulled the Kokiri girl to him. He fired on the water containers, distracting the Moblins, who busied themselves trying to save the precious fluid. Sonic turned to Nabooru, and suggested they get the hell out of there. She wasted no time, though she was seething. Imagine her surprise when they stepped off the transporter platform and heard Sonic cooing to the Kokiri. "My dear Saria, didn't I tell you I'd rescue you?"  
  
In the Kokiri settlement, Luigi and Malon leaned against the wall of a darkened corridor. Though Luigi tried to assure Malon that Nabooru would find them, she wasn't in an optimistic mood. She felt a twinge in her neck, but she was too proud to accept either pity or assistance. A young Kokiri woman approached from the shadows. "Are you in pain?" Malon leaped into an attack position. "Are we still being followed? Are we prisoners after all?" she demanded. The Kokiri assured her that they were not prisoners. She had just brought something that might help Malon. She handed the half-Kremling woman a vial containing a mossy substance. From this young Kokiri, Luigi and Malon learned that not everyone agreed with the Kokiri leaders. A break-off colony existed that wanted to be more self-sufficient. They grew their own food, and had found the medical properties of some plants. The breakaways were worried about the Deku Tree's strange behavior-in addition to abducting people and sending them to the Kokiri, he had sent them far more energy then they needed; they had a surplus that would last them another five years at least. While the Kokiri leaders were too enamored of the Deku Tree to question his motives, the breakaways believed the time was coming when they would have to make it on their own. She also mentioned that they had found the 500 year old tunnels that had brought the Kokiri from the surface to the underground. They weren't safe, and they had plenty of technological barriers, but some had made it out. She was not inclined to tell Luigi and Malon where these tunnels were, though. "Conserve your strength for now." she urged, then left, leaving them with a renewed sense of hope.  
  
On Voyager the Holodoc tended to Saria's wounds while Zelda, Fox, and Nabooru glared at Sonic. "If you had been more forthcoming," Zelda was saying, "We could have anticipated your irrational behavior." "Hey, we got out of there, didn't we?" Sonic shot back. He was used to making alliances just long enough to get what he wanted or needed. On the biobed, Saria sat up and begged them not to be too hard on Sonic. The Doctor seconded that. "This is a sickbay, not a conference room. Everyone except the patient will leave. Now." Nabooru looked past him. "Computer, deactivate the Emergency Medical Hologram." The Doctor didn't have time to protest before he disappeared. Saria continued her apology. "I should never have gone to the surface. I'm too curious. I'm told it's my worst failing." Sonic grinned at her. "I think it's a wonderful quality." Nabooru's anger drained a bit and she asked if Saria would help them find their missing crewmembers. "Ingo was right. There's no way down there." Saria replied. "The tunnel I came up in was sealed." "We don't have to use tunnels." Nabooru explained. "We can beam right into the city. We just need directional assistance." Zelda picked up there, explaining that their sub-surface scans had not been successful so far. The Deku Tree, he believed, had taken measures to prevent them from finding the city. Saria suggested that there might be security breaches where the tunnels had decayed. Nabooru nodded to Zelda, and ordered her to scan for such breaches as a first step. Sonic spoke up. "Well, it seems Saria's given you the help you need. We'll be going now" "No, we won't." replied Saria. "These people saved me. We owe it to them to help them." "I saved you!" Sonic explained. "With their help." Saria clarified. "It would be wrong not to help them." His concern for her giving way for his eagerness to please, Sonic nodded grudgingly.  
  
Saria led Nabooru, Zelda, Link, and Fox into a small Kokiri village, probably one of the Kokiri colonies. One of them rushed over and embraced her-much to Sonic's anger. It was most likely a platonic relationship though. "How did you make it back?" he asked Saria indicated the away team, and explained that they had rescued her from the Moblins. "We're looking for two of their crewmembers." she continued. "They were sent here by the Deku Tree. Do you know where they're being kept?" "The Central Clinic." "Can you take us there?" Saria asked. {NO!} The voice spoke in their heads. Two new figures stepped from the shadows-by the looks of their bearings, they were probably Kokiri elders. "They're not telepathic, Mido. Speak aloud." Saria chided. "We don't mean to be rude." said Mido. "But they cannot go." A brief philosophical argument ensued. Mido complained of Saria's heretical views and actions-case-in-point, going to the surface. "The Kokiri have become sheep." Saria replied. "Domesticated, and dependent on the Deku Tree's attention. Our ancestors had their full mental faculties- our telepathy is but a fraction of that power." "You are speaking of apocryphal legends." responded Mido. "The tales of our ancestor's powers are greatly exaggerated." "I have seen the sun, basked in it. The Deku Tree's generosity is not worth its denial." Mido tried one more time, but Saria blew him off. "I'm going." she said. "Who's with me?" Not a few volunteered. Nabooru was impressed. She felt she was in good hands.  
  
Armed with flashlights and digging tool, Luigi and Malon hiked up to one of the caverns that would take them to the surface. It was a daunting prospect- two miles straight up, and the ladder's weren't in the best of repair. Seeing what was ahead of them, Malon inhaled sharply. "Let's go." she said after a brief pause. They scaled the steps for a while before Luigi collapsed. Malon tried to shame him back onto his feet, but it didn't work. Finally, she sat down herself, a little relieved despite her eagerness for freedom. "Perhaps I'd be doing better with Kremling blood." Luigi joked with a half- smile. "Believe me, it's more trouble than it's worth." Luigi laughed bitterly. "You know, I've spent my whole life training for Nintendo fleet. And on my first mission, I'm going to die." "We're not dead yet." Malon replied. "I know a few things Old Sneezy never taught in his survival class." "Old Sneezy?" "Commander Falcon. I think he was allergic to everything." Luigi was amazed. "You went to the Academy?" "I made it to my second year before a.mutual.decision was made that I should leave." explained Malon, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. Luigi grinned weakly. "I never liked Commander Falcon." They got moving again.  
  
As Nabooru and the rest of the away team rode down an escalator to the clinic, they noted that the sounds of energy arriving were becoming much more rapidly. Then it stopped altogether. A crewman contacted them, explaining that the Deku Tree had stopped sending energy, and was now realigning for something. "Keep me informed. Nabooru out." They reached the clinic, to find that the doctors had not seen Luigi or Malon for hours. "If they want to escape to the surface, they'll try the same thing I did.going out through a tunnel." "Right. You, Sonic, and Link go check out the tunnels. I'll talk with the doctors and see if they know anything." The ground shook. Nabooru tapped her combadge and asked for an explanation. "The Array is firing on the surface. I think it's trying to seal off the energy conduits." Zelda spoke up. "I believe I have enough information for a hypothesis, Captain. The Deku Tree is dying." Nabooru started. Zelda continued, explaining her reasoning. "The Array has sent the Kokiri enough energy to survive five years on their own. Now he is sealing the conduits so the Moblins cannot use them to access the underground. He's been caring for these people for a thousand years, and kept referring to a 'debt that can never be repaid.' Also, he referred specifically and repeatedly to running out of time. It's a logical assumption." It was also a disconcerting one. "If he dies, how the hell are we supposed to get home?" Nabooru wondered aloud.  
  
Link, Sonic, and Saria arrived at one of the tunnels. Link checked his tricorder. "They're in this one." He hailed Nabooru with the news. She told him to call for transport once they found the missing crewmembers. She then called for the immediate beam- out of herself, Zelda, and Fox. "Sorry, we can't. The Deku Tree's fire has irradiated the security breaches. You'll have to get to the surface before we can beam you up." Nabooru cut the channel. "We'll have to follow Link into the tunnels and get out the old-fashioned way. Let's go." Meanwhile, Link, Sonic, and Saria had found Luigi and Malon. They didn't look well. "Took you long enough." Luigi coughed. "Hey, you think I'm going to let down the only friend I've got?" Link replied. "What makes you think I'm your friend?" Luigi replied, but it was a weak protest. Link shook his head and pulled Luigi up. Saria assured them she knew how to breach the barrier and they started climbing with all speed. Finally they reached the barrier, a golden shower of electroforce. Saria went through first, explaining "Whatever you do, don't touch it-it'll burn your skin right off." They nodded and followed her through. Nabooru and the rest followed not so far behind, managing to keep their footing despite the hammering the planet was taking. Past the barrier, Link believed he had found the closest to the surface they would get. With Sonic's assistance, he blew a hole in the roof and the two of them, Saria, Luigi, and Malon climbed onto the surface. Hailing Voyager he asked if they could lock onto them. "We can.but we're only getting five signals." "The rest are still below the barrier." Link explained He noticed a blast coming in, not close, but big enough not to matter. "Get down!" he yelled. Below the surface, the ladders began to shake and collapse. Heavy things start falling. Link tried to hail Nabooru, but failed. Hailing Voyager, he told them to beam up everybody except himself. Sonic, knowing Link's intentions inquired, "What the hell are you thinking?" Link said nothing. Sonic sighed. "Well, if a fool needs company." he turned to Saria, putting on his best brave face. "Take care of them. I'll be back soon." "Make that three to beam up. Lock on and beam them up now." Saria, Luigi, and Malon disappeared.  
  
Below the surface, the brief avalanche had ended. Fox howled in pain. Nabooru seemed all right, but Zelda looked dazed. "My leg is broken." Fox told Nabooru. "Hold on." she told him. They didn't have long to wait. Link and Sonic arrived. Link ordered the hedgehog to help Nabooru with Zelda while he got Fox. Fox was in no mood to be got, least of all by Link. "Get out of here." he barked. "If you try to save me, most likely we'll both die." "Maybe so," Link replied with a twinkle in his eyes. "But if I save you, your life belongs to me. Isn't that an Indian custom?" "Wrong tribe." Fox grunted. "I don't believe you." Link replied. He scrambled down and pulled the Maquis up. Fox still didn't seem to be helping much. Link stated the obvious. "You'd rather die than have me rescue you." Fox finally gave in to the reality of the situation. "Fine, be a fool. At least I'll have the satisfaction of watching you go with me." He wrapped his arms around Link's neck and they started stumbling towards the exit. "Don't you have some Indian trick where you can turn into a bird and fly us to the exit?" Link asked. "You're too heavy." The two of them stumbled out the exit a millisecond before the entire section collapsed behind them.  
  
Voyager and the Maquis Arwing were ducking weapons fire from the Array. All were safely aboard. Fox's leg had been healed, and the resourceful Light Holodoc had cured Luigi and Malon of the disease. The bridge hailed sickbay, reporting two Moblin ships closing on the Array. Nabooru ordered an intercept course and headed to the bridge. Fox and Malon, still technically to weak to be discharged, left anyway, much to the Doctor's annoyance. "Is the crew always this difficult?" he asked to no one in particular. "I don't know, Doc." Luigi replied. "It's my first mission." He left for the bridge, leaving the Holodoc alone in sickbay. "Doesn't anyone know to turn me off when they leave?" he asked dejectedly.  
  
The bridge was hopping when Nabooru, Link, and Luigi arrived. The Moblins hailed them. Ingo appeared on screen, asking what they were doing near the Array. "We're trying to get home. We were about to transport aboard to see if it could be arranged." Nabooru replied. "I can't allow you to do that." Ingo said. "We have no dispute with you." "We have a dispute with anyone who dares to challenge us." "We have no intention of challenging you." responded Nabooru. "And I have no intention of letting you aboard the Array." Nabooru tried to be reasonable, but the Maje cut her off in mid-sentence. She growled. "That's how you want to play it? Fine. Welcome to my playground." A firefight ensued. The Moblin's less advanced weaponry didn't seem to be doing much damage, but they were persistent, and might yet pierce Voyager's shields. Nabooru hailed the Maquis Arwing. "Can you keep them busy for a while?" Fox barked his affirmative. "Good. Zelda and I are going over to the Array. Link, you have the conn." Link gulped, stuttered 'Yes ma'am' and took his station.  
  
Aboard the Array, Nabooru and Zelda split up. Nabooru headed for the barn where she could hear the Banjo Man/Deku Tree's music. As she entered, he looked up with a weak grin. "Thou art nothing if not persistent." "We need you to send us back." "I cannot. I hath barely enough strength to finish my work." "Sealing the energy conduits?" asked Nabooru. "If I don't the Moblins wilt steal the water. It matters not. In five years, they wilt run out of water and be forced unto the surface. They wilt not be able to survive." "Is that the debt that can never be repaid? Turning the planet into a desert?" The Deku Tree nodded weakly. "We art explorers from another galaxy. We had no idea our technology would be so destructive unto their atmosphere. Two of us were chosen to stay here and take care of them." "There's another here like you?" "Not anymore. She went off to seek more exciting things." "Why have you been kidnapping people and infecting them with fatal diseases?" Nabooru asked. "It was not a disease!" the Deku Tree protested. "I was looking for a compatible bio-molecular structure." Realization dawned on Nabooru. "You were trying to procreate!" "Yes. I needed someone to replace me, to continue caring for the Kokiri." Nabooru leaned over to the Deku Tree. "Did you ever consider letting them care for themselves?" "They art children!" the Deku Tree scoffed. "Children have to grow up sometime." Nabooru pointed out, then lectured him on something he should already know-explorers got that way by treading through difficulties, overcoming adversities. "They have a better shot at survival than you think." Luigi hailed her. "We've got problems here."  
  
The Moblins didn't just have the tiny ships that had been attacking Voyager initially. They had brought in a behemoth ship, launching volleys at the Federation starship. "The Moblins got backup." Luigi explained in a classic understatement. "Just give me a few minutes here." replied Nabooru. On the Arwing, Fox reads off Voyager's damage report. Their weapons array is down. Malon told him that neither ship had enough firepower to stop the colossal Moblin vessel. Fox had his own plan to defeat it, but it involved evacuating the crew to Voyager and driving the Arwing right into the Moblin monstrosity. Malon didn't like it, but she agreed without argument. Fox hailed Voyager and explained his plan. Link acknowledged, but made note that this didn't make them even. "Your butt is still mine, Tonto." "Bite me, kemosabe." Fox whispered, and aimed for the big vessel. Malon and the other Maquis arrived aboard Voyager, and watched as both ships began getting the hell pounded out of each other. Link started to order a beamout, but McCloud refused. And he dove closer as blast after blast hit his ship, until he was too close for comfort. "NOW!" he yelled, and dematerialized seconds before the Arwing collided with the Moblin ship. Explosions rocked the behemoth, and it fell towards the Array.  
  
Zelda returned with a report. She had found the system that could take them home. But it would take several hours to perform. "Unless you help us." Nabooru told the Deku Tree. He refused. "I cannot let the Moblins have this installation. I hath activated a self-destruct. Get back to thy vessel." The Moblin vessel slammed into the Array, knocking out the self destruct-as well as the holo-generator. The barn flashed out of existence, as did the illusion of the Banjo Man. As the real look of Array appeared, the Deku Tree's true form was also revealed-a tall, treelike entity. Its leaves were wilting, and it looked generally unhealthy. Nabooru hailed Link and asked for an explanation. He noted the destruction of the Moblin ship and its collision with the Array. The Deku Tree, his voice fading, pleaded with Nabooru not to let the Moblins have the Array. As he talked, he withered and shrunk, until he was nothing but a piece of petrified wood. Nabooru hesitated, then picked it up, wondering what she should do. Zelda argued that to destroy the Array or assist the Kokiri further would violate the Prime Directive, and alter the balance of power in the sector. "We didn't ask to be involved." Nabooru replied. "But we are, and we can't just walk away."  
  
Zelda and Nabooru exited the turbolift onto the bridge. She ordered Zelda to power up the tricobalt Power Bombs, then hailed Ingo, warning him to get away from the Array, as she intended to nuke it out of existence. "You can't do that!" he protested. "Watch me." she replied, cutting off the transmission. Malon did not like the idea. "You have no right to destroy that thing! We need it to get home!" Nabooru leveled her gaze on the half-Kremling. "I'm aware you have families and loved ones back home. So do I. But we'll have to find another way home. I will not trade the lives of the Kokiri away for our convenience." Malon wasn't satisfied. "Who do you think you are to make this decision for us?" Fox grabbed her and whirled her around. Malon repeated the question. "She's the captain." he replied softly. Zelda reported the Power Bombs were online. Link reported they were in position. Nabooru took a deep breath. "Fire." Three Power Bombs tumbled through space and struck the Array. By the time the fireworks subsided, there wasn't enough of the Array to gather for souvenirs. The bridge crew watched in silence. Their best hope for getting back to the Alpha Quadrant had just gone up in a blaze of glory. Luigi spoke first. "Incoming message from the lead Moblin vessel." Ingo appeared on screen. "You have made an enemy today." he said simply, then ended the call. Zelda reported the Moblin ships were retreating. They had declared their enmity, but they knew better then to challenge Nabooru right at the moment.  
  
In her quarters, Nabooru stared out into the new stars. A picture of her husband and her dog sat on her desk. The door chimed, and Link entered. "You asked to see me, Captain?" Nabooru sat down. "You've got a problem, Mr. Link." "Oh really?" "I'm making the Maquis part of the crew. They sacrificed their ship to save us. It seemed the reasonable thing to do." "Will I be assigned a bodyguard?" Link asked, half-smirking. "You've already got one. Mr. McCloud seems to think his life is in your hands. He'll be taking responsibility for your safety." Link grinned. "I'm going to enjoy this." "Don't be so sure." replied Nabooru. "I'm making Fox my first officer. Everybody on board will be answerable to him. Including the Lieutenant assigned to the conn." Link was confused until he let her tone sink in. "Me?" Nabooru switched to her official voice. "I have entered into the ships log that on this gamedate, I'm awarding a field commission of Lieutenant to Mr. Link Paris." She stood and extended her hand. "Congratulations." Link's mouth worked furiously, but nothing came out. Finally he composed himself and said, "For the first time in my life, I don't know what to say." "You've earned this, Link. I just wish your father were here to hear the good news." "He will. When we get back." Link replied, beaming from ear to ear. Link was hardly out the door when Sonic and Saria entered. They're eager to speak with her. "We've supplied your ship with water, Sonic. You're ready to go." Sonic thanked her, but he had a request. "We'd like to stay." "We aren't a passenger ship, Mr. Sonic." "We wouldn't be passengers." Saria replied. "We'd be colleagues." "You're new here. We're natives." Sonic added, picking up the ball. "It'll be our job to provide you with what you need. You need a guide? I'm a guide. You need supplies? I know where to get them and who to talk to. You need a cook? I can whip up a batch of brownies that will make you change your religion. It's my job to think of answers to questions you don't even know you have yet, and the first thing you need is me." "We want to be part of your journey, Captain." Saria chimed in. Nabooru paused. They had both proved their worth in their short association. She nodded her approval.  
  
The bridge was crowded. Everyone was at their stations. Nabooru strode up to the captain's chair, and announced the purpose of the adventure ahead. "We're alone. In an uncharted part of the galaxy. We've already made some friends here, and some enemies. We have no idea of the dangers we're going to face. But one thing is clear. Both crews are going to have to work together if we're to survive. That's why Commander Fox and I have agreed that this should be one crew...a Nintendo fleet crew. And as the only Nintendo Fleet vessel assigned to the Delta Quadrant, we'll continue to follow our directive, to seek out new worlds and explore space. But our primary goal is clear. Even at maximum speeds, it would take 75 years to reach the Federation. But I'm not willing to settle for that. There's another entity like the Deku Tree out there somewhere who has the ability to get us there a lot faster. We'll be looking for her. And we'll be looking for wormholes, spatial rifts, or new technologies to help us. Somewhere, along this journey, we'll find a way back." She turned to Link. "Mr. Link. Set a course.for home." 


	3. Parallax

Nintendo Trek: Voyager  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Parallax  
  
"Stay still, Mr. Slippy." the Holodoc was saying to the man on the biobed. Lieutenant Slippy, the senior engineering officer, was suffering from some nasty bruises and a broken nose. Fox and Zelda stood next to the biobed while Slippy explained the nature of the injury.  
  
"Malon Torres and I had a disagreement over how the engine room ought to be run. She punctuated her point with a sharp right hook." He winced at the memory. The report given to the First Officer and the Chief of Security, Fox and Zelda left sickbay.  
  
"I believe the journey ahead of us might go more smoothly if Malon were to spend the trip in the brig." Zelda told Fox as they exited. The first officer scowled. He was not having a good day. He wanted to promote Malon, but she wasn't giving anyone a reason to want to. First he had Slippy yelling for her hide, and now he had to fight an extradition order from Zelda. As he took his leave from the Security Chief, he ran into Ruto and another of his old Maquis crew. They had heard about the..incident..in engineering-blown way out of proportion.  
  
"We just want you to know," Ruto said, "If you want to take over the ship.you have our full support."  
  
Fox reprimanded them and ordered them not to bring it up again. "If you talk about this again, I will charge you with mutiny and throw you in the brig." Fox found himself in an unenviable position. He was the first officer of Voyager, and a former Maquis commander. Until the two crews became 'a crew' he would have to bridge the gaps between them. After dismissing Ruto and her friend he went to confront Malon.  
  
As he entered Malon's quarters, an ashtray narrowly missed his head, hit the wall, and fell with a loud clang to the ground. Malon was in a bad mood. She started raving about Slippy's idiocy.  
  
Fox read her Slippy's medical report. "Broken nose, a couple of skull fractures, not to mention numerous bruises. You've just made my day a whole lot more complicated, Malon. You need to learn to get along with the rest of crew. And I want you patch things up with Lieutenant Slippy."  
  
"Why should I?" Malon growled.  
  
"Because I want to promote you to Chief Engineer."  
  
Malon laughed. "You've got a twisted sense of humor, Commander." the half- Kremling added.  
  
"I'm serious, Malon. You are one of the most competent engineers I have ever known. You deserve the job. But you're going to need the captain's approval."  
  
At the first senior staff meeting aboard the lost Federation vessel, Nabooru and the senior officers discussed the problems Voyager was facing. Power was diminishing, replicators were malfunctioning, and they faced the possibility of running out of food.  
  
"What about the holodecks?" Luigi asked. "They have a self-replenishing supply of power, effectively limitless. If we could tie that into the main power."  
  
"It would not work." Zelda interrupted. "The holodeck's power source works because it is independent of other systems. It cannot be tied in with the main power."  
  
Sonic and Saria arrived unexpectedly. Nabooru protested that it was a senior officer meeting. Sonic replied that he was the senior member of his race aboard the ship, and Saria the senior member of hers. Nabooru relented, and they immediately made themselves useful. Saria suggested they create a hydroponics bay and start growing their food. The staff agreed that it was a good idea, and drafted Saria to be in charge. Sonic boasted that he was a great cook and volunteered for the position.  
  
Next on the agenda was how to fill the duty rosters. The Chief Medical Officer was killed when they were brought to the Delta Quadrant. The EMH designed by Dr. Light was woefully lacking in bedside manner.  
  
"Mr. Link, I've been looking over your records from the Academy. I believe you took two roughly applicable classes. Given the state of this ship, that's pretty qualified. You will start training to assist the Doctor as soon as possible."  
  
The next position that needed to be filled was Chief Engineer. Nabooru preferred Lieutenant Slippy, next up on the official Nintendo Fleet org chart. Fox asked that Malon also be considered.  
  
"Isn't Malon the one who put Slippy in sickbay?" she asked.  
  
"Well, yes. But in the Maquis, you sometimes had to push people out of the way to get things done."  
  
Thus began a debate about how to handle the integration of the crews. Nabooru expected that things be done the Federation way. Fox argued that if positions were chosen purely on seniority, the Maquis would never have a chance to gain senior positions, which he felt would be harmful to the ship and crew. He felt that positions should be determined by merit as much as seniority-at least at first-so the best people would get the jobs. Nabooru considered the argument, and agreed to consider Malon for the position.  
  
Malon was summoned to Nabooru's office. The captain had pulled up some of the half-Kremling's Academy records.  
  
"It says you dropped out before graduation. Stacks of complaints and official wrist-slaps for impertinence, an argumentative nature, and a tendency to break noses when you didn't get your way." In short, she didn't seem like she had the temper of a Nintendo Fleet officer, and she admitted as much. She bristled against the strict rules and hierarchy of the Federation.  
  
"Starfleet rules will apply on my ship." Nabooru asserted. Malon didn't think she was a candidate for the job in the first place-how could she be? By her own admission, she was a good engineer, but a lousy leader, and a lousy officer. She was surly and uncooperative, and Nabooru did not get a good first impression from the interview. Malon stormed out of the office, leaving Nabooru with the idea that Lt. Slippy might well be a better choice. That was when the distress call came in. Nabooru didn't hesitate before ordering Voyager to follow the signal..which led them straight into a singularity. Luckily, they were only at the very edge, still relatively safe. But they could see another ship that looked REALLY stuck in there, probably the origin of the distress call. They wanted to rescue it. Unfortunately, singularities are really difficult to get out of. Unless, of course, one has a very good engineer.  
  
First attempts at communicating with the vessel failed-there was a lot of interference.  
  
"Options?" Nabooru asked. Fox gave her some, hailed Malon and asked for opinions. She gave him some, and he told her to get on it. A millisecond after he cut the channel, Nabooru hailed engineering, and explicitly told Slippy that he was in charge of what Fox had just told Malon to do. She cut the channel and turned to Fox.  
  
"Can I see you in my ready room?"  
  
Fox followed her in. She shut the door and bawled him out. "You were out of line, Commander. I do not want to see such disobedience again."  
  
Fox shook his head. "I wasn't out of line, Captain. I was just working with the person that I knew could get the job done."  
  
They argued some more about the chain of command.  
  
"Look, has Malon been completely removed from consideration?" Fox asked.  
  
"No." Nabooru admitted.  
  
"Then you should treat her as a candidate as much as Lieutenant Slippy." Nabooru bristled a bit. "I'm really working in the best interests of the crew, Captain. This isn't a perfect world, and we aren't one crew yet. I'm acting as the bridge."  
  
It was soon realized that they couldn't help the other ship on their own. Sonic suggested they head out to another star system to look for help. They tried..and found themselves right back where they started. They were well and truly stuck in the singularity. And other things were happening as well.  
  
Saria entered sickbay.  
  
"Computer, activate the EMH." Holodoc shimmered into view.  
  
"What is it?" he groused in his ever-present state of annoyance.  
  
"I was looking for some soil samples for the hydroponic garden." Saria replied. Doc was annoyed, but the Kokiri girl responded kindly.  
  
"What's your name?" she asked him.  
  
"I..I don't have one." he admitted. Saria smiled warmly. The Light Holodoc busied himself getting her some soil samples. Then she noticed something strange.  
  
"Doctor.you're shrinking!"  
  
Yes, the Doctor was shrinking. And people all over the ship were reporting severe headaches. The former only seemed to bother Saria. The latter made people worry. A senior staff meeting was called. Nabooru decided to take a look at the data for herself. She was a very competent scientist herself, but someone had to be Captain. Fox asked who to invite from Engineering. Nabooru decided on Lieutenant Slippy.  
  
"What about Malon?" Fox asked.  
  
"What about her?" Nabooru queried.  
  
"Unless she's been removed from consideration, I suggest you include her as well." After a brief pause, Nabooru agreed.  
  
Slippy, meanwhile, was lording his superiority over Malon. He condescended so much that some engineers were actually rooting for Malon to break his nose again. But she took it all quietly. She had been unnerved by her previous encounter with the Captain. The rumor that was sweeping Engineering was that the Kremling Tsunami was suffering from low self- esteem.  
  
At the staff meeting, Slippy seemed to have the upper hand. Malon sat through it quietly, until forced to 'speak or forever hold her peace.' Slippy offered what sounded like a good plan. Fox looked at Malon.  
  
"I'll follow those instructions if I'm ordered to." she asserted. "But they won't work." She outlined her theories on what was happening. Nabooru, being an engineering type herself, recognized a good thinker when she saw one. They started talking at warp speed, leaving everyone else in the dust. Malon sold her plan, and as they shuffled over to Engineering, Nabooru gave Fox an encouraging look.  
  
They followed Malon's plan of action and managed to make contact with the other ship-where they hear, "Alien vessel, this is Captain Nabooru of the Nintendo Federation starship Voyager. Do you need assistance?" Sure enough, when they established video contact, they were looking at themselves. Not good.  
  
Back in the conference room, Malon was leading the discussion. She and Nabooru were bouncing ideas and theories off of one another. She no longer had to break noses to be heard. Malon suggested that what they were seeing was some kind of an echo. Link was confused.  
  
"We got the distress call before we got stuck. How can we be seeing an echo of something we haven't done yet? Am I making any sense?"  
  
"No." Nabooru replied. "But that's okay. This is a very complicated subject."  
  
They decided there must be a way out, and 'flashed the brights' to look for cracks in the singularity. Sure enough, there was one..but far from big enough to fit Voyager through. Malon was prepared for this though. She suggested taking a shuttlecraft and ramming open a bigger hole.  
  
"I'm already on my way to Launch Bay 2." Link said.  
  
"No, you're not." said Nabooru. "We'll need scientists on this mission. Malon and I will go."  
  
On the shuttlecraft, Malon apologized for blowing up in Nabooru's office.  
  
"I only left because I didn't think I could cut it in Starfleet." she said.  
  
"I did some more reading on your academy record." Nabooru replied. "Believe it or not, you had many letters of recommendation from your professors. They held you in high esteem, and would gladly sponsor you if you wanted to return to the academy. They saw a great talent for leadership in you, Malon. A raw talent, but great talent nonetheless."  
  
Malon brightened considerably.  
  
They did a good job of widening the crack. Though they cut it close, they managed to open a hole wide enough for Voyager to fly through. Things got complicated when they tried to return, though. The echo was back, and they saw not one, but two Voyagers. A disagreement ensued over which was real. Malon argued passionately, but Nabooru pulled rank.  
  
"Land on that Voyager, Lieutenant. That's an order."  
  
With no choice left in the matter, Malon piloted the shuttlepod towards the launch bay-and landed on solid ground.  
  
The crack was big enough, but it was shrinking fast. By the time they got there, it was, technically, to small for them to fly through again. Nabooru wasn't about to let that stop her. After all, she was a redhead. She ordered Link to charge shields to full power and ram on through. Link complied with a wicked glimmer in his eyes. - - - - - RAMMING SPEED!  
  
And they're through! Tarnished, but otherwise fine. Nabooru ordered Link to get them the hell out of there.  
  
Having escaped the demon Plot Complication once again, Voyager will now be blessed by the angel Resolution. Malon was given the Chief Engineer job, and dove right into her work, nervous, but determined. The first to offer his hand in congratulations was none other than Lieutenant Slippy himself. The transition was not going be painless-two crewmembers complained about her promotion that same day. As Voyager sped off into warp speed, Fox and Nabooru were having dinner together.  
  
"I've got a question for you, Captain." Fox said. "What would you do if our situation was reversed-if you had to integrate your crew onto my Maquis ship?"  
  
Nabooru grinned. "One of the perks of command is not having to answer that question." 


	4. Phage

Nintendo Trek: Voyager  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Phage  
  
Captain Kathryn Nabooru and Commander Fox McCloud were enjoying a leisurely morning stroll through the hallways of Voyager. The conversation turned to Sonic, their hedgehog-like Delta Quadrant guide.  
  
"So, he knows where we can find some dilithium?" Fox asked. Dilithium was the substance that powered the ship. Unless they found some, they'd end up dead in the water.  
  
"He knows of an asteroid that ought to have rich veins of it." Nabooru confirmed. "We've already set a course. Of course, there's still the problem of processing the stuff."  
  
"Malon thinks she may have a way of doing just that." Fox replied.  
  
"Yes, she brought her plan to me this morning. It never fails; whenever there's a problem, Malon seems to find the solution most at odds with Starfleet regulations. Its like she's deliberately challenging them." said Nabooru.  
  
"A few years in the Maquis can do that to you."  
  
The conversation turned to food. The replicators were still down, and until they were repaired, the crew would have to make do with vacuum-sealed oatmeal. No champagne and cheese on this starship. The two parted ways at Nabooru's private dining quarters, just after the captain finished describing her ideal breakfast. Smoke greeted Nabooru as she entered. Sonic had apparently converted her dining quarters into a mess hall, and was busy cooking up meals from the produce Saria was growing in the Hydroponics Bay. Unfortunately, the hedgehog didn't ask first, and Nabooru was a little flustered at the prospect. Poor Sonic didn't seem to understand why the captain was so angry. Nabooru spluttered, trying to find the words-she found it almost amusing in a way. Timing is everything, however, and they arrived at the asteroid before Nabooru could get really mad.  
  
Sonic, Luigi, and Fox beamed down onto the asteroid in search of a place to start mining dilithium. Imagine their confusion when they found that, while the promise of dilithium was there, there was no actual dilithium. As Luigi and Fox pondered the inconsistency, Sonic wandered away from the group.and into the crosshairs of an ugly, brown-skinned alien with rotting flesh. It fired its weapon, letting loose a paralyzing sonic blast. By the time Luigi and Fox reached him, Sonic was flopping on the dirt, gasping for breath. The ugly alien had disappeared.  
  
Fox tapped his combadge. "Three to beam directly to sickbay."  
  
In sickbay, Dr. Light's holodoctor managed to stabilize Sonic temporarily.  
  
"Well, what's the diagnosis?" Luigi asked. Doc shook his head.  
  
"Mr. Sonic has about an hour to live. His lungs have been removed- they were actually transported out of his body. There's absolutely nothing I can do-he's the only one of his kind aboard, so we have no donor." Saria entered, and rushed to Sonic's side. She looked up at the Holodoc and asked what had happened. He repeated his explanation. Saria offered to donate one of her lungs.  
  
"Won't work," Doc replied. "Your Kokiri lungs aren't compatible with Talaxian physiology."  
  
"So he's going to die?" she asked.  
  
"I didn't say that." Holodoc replied. "I believe I can make holographic replicas of his lungs. Sickbay, of course, has holographic emitters, so they should work just as well as the real things-as long as the program is running and Mr. Sonic remains on the biobed. We'd probably have to secure him. It's a temporary solution. Hopefully, we'd be able to find a donor or the stolen lungs soon." Saria considered the options, then agreed.  
  
The surgery was a success, and Sonic awoke, alive and breathing, though practically unable to move. "You know, I've never noticed this before, but the Sickbay ceiling is really ugly," he said, after everything was explained to him.  
  
"I'm a doctor, not an interior decorator," Doc snapped. Saria promised to take care of the décor. Link, meanwhile, was proving to be a less-than-worthy assistant in the Holodoc's visual processors. Doc spoke condescendingly to Link throughout the procedure. In fairness, Link was approaching his assignments with something less than vigor. Why, only Link knew. He was spared further verbal abuse by the doctor when the com beeped, summoning him to the bridge. He gave Saria an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder, then hurried out. This did not sit well with Sonic. He proclaimed that Link didn't have the common decency to wait for his corpse to cool before moving in. "Link's just a friend!" Saria protested.  
  
"No, he's a walking hormone," Sonic replied. A brief and gentle argument ensued. Saria told Sonic that she loved him, and that she hadn't given up on him yet. Sonic grunted, only half believing.  
  
Nabooru, Link, Luigi, Zelda and Fox beamed down to the asteroid in search of clues. They discovered an organ repository, and shortly after, the Ugly Dude who stole Sonic's lungs. He raised his weapon with a hiss, but Fox was quicker on the draw. He drew his phaser and blasted the gun out of the alien's hands. It retreated to its ship. They picked up and analyzed the gun. Very sophisticated. As far as they could tell, it was a medical scanner, stun gun, and organ transporter all wrapped into one.  
  
The five beamed back to Voyager and took up the chase. After several hours, they followed the ship into an asteroid, and found themselves in a nightmarish Hall of Mirrors. Alien ships surrounded them. There was no way to tell which was real, and weapons fire was being rained down on them. Shields were dropping sharply. It looked hopeless. Nabooru glanced at Zelda.  
  
"Now would be a good time for some clever suggestions," she said.  
  
"If we fire phasers at a low intensity, they ought to continue bouncing until they hit something," Zelda replied.  
  
"Do it," Nabooru said, standing with her hands on her hips. The Sheikah lowered the phaser intensity, and fired.  
  
It bounced off the first mirror. Luigi gulped.  
  
Another mirror. Link began to mouth a Hail Mary.  
  
A third mirror. Shields were almost out. Everyone closed their eyes except Nabooru and Zelda.  
  
BOOM! The phaser collided with the alien vessel. In minutes, she was disabled. The home-field advantage just isn't enough to beat Starfleet training, well-honed battlefield instinct, cunning, and a red-headed captain. They lock on and beam the aliens aboard.  
  
In Sickbay, Sonic was struggling, despite nice curtains and ceiling decorations. You would be too, if you were strapped to a table 24/7, breathing through holographic lungs, and being treated by an irritable package of photons and force-fields. The poor hedgehog began to panic, demanding to be released-which would kill him. He began to hyperventilate, and the Doctor was forced to sedate him. Doc crumpled to a biobed, holding his head in his hands.  
  
"What's wrong, Doctor?" Saria asked.  
  
"This isn't what I was programmed for," he replied dejectedly. "Almost everything I've done so far has required some amount of improvisation. One of these days, I won't have the answer, and someone's going to die."  
  
"Don't talk like that!" Saria scolded. "Who cured Malon and Luigi of the Deku Tree's disease? Who's the one who's kept Sonic alive, even without his lungs? Maybe you're going beyond your original programming. All that means is you have to expand your programming, expand your knowledge. Just because you're a hologram doesn't mean you can't learn like any creature of flesh- and-blood." Doc smiled at the young Kokiri girl.  
  
Nabooru and Zelda rushed to the transporter room to meet the organ- snatchers. There were two of the, looking very disoriented. Nabooru stepped forward, keeping her phase rifle leveled with them the whole time.  
  
"My name is Kathryn Nabooru of the Federation starship Voyager. Who are you, and why did you steal my crewman's lungs?" The taller alien, obviously the leader, gave a wry smile. He stepped off the transporter pad.  
  
"By 'who are you,' I assume you mean my species, and not me in particular," he said. His voice was as scratchy as sandpaper. "My race is called the ReDead. We had another name once, but it has been lost to the sands of time. For centuries, we have been plagued by an terrible and incurable disease called the Phage. It destroys our bodies and organs from within. Even now, you see the effects on us. We were a great race once, but the Phage has destroyed us. We've been forced to resort to organ scavenging. We try to take only from the dead, but sometimes, emergencies arise. The Phage recently claimed my friends lungs. The Talaxian happened to be there, and.you know the rest."  
  
"You mean, your friend is using Sonic's lungs? That to save Sonic, I'd have to kill him?" Nabooru asked.  
  
"I'm afraid so."  
  
In her ready room, Nabooru stared out at the stars, a coffee mug in her hand. The door chimed. "Come in," she said. Zelda entered.  
  
"Captain." Nabooru turned around. She shook her head and took a big swig of coffee.  
  
"The way I see it, I have two choices," she began. "Kill the ReDead to save Sonic, or kill Sonic to save the ReDead."  
  
"Sonic would not die," Zelda replied. "The holographic lungs the doctor provided him with work just as well."  
  
"But it's a temporary solution. It's only a matter of time before the holo- emitters are knocked out in an attack or the ship's power fails. If I let the ReDead live, Sonic is going to die."  
  
"That may not be the only solution, Captain." Zelda replied enigmatically  
  
"You said you lived by harvesting the organs of other species. How? Surely you don't mean to tell me your compatible with every species?" Nabooru asked the ReDead captain.  
  
"No. That would be ridiculous. Our technology can process organs, making them compatible," he replied.  
  
"Could you do the same to one of my lungs?" Saria asked. The captain nodded.  
  
The operation was a success. While Sonic snoozed peacefully, Doc tapped Saria on the shoulder. "What is it, Doctor?" she asked.  
  
"Saria, we've been working together for the last few days, and I must say, I'm impressed. You're kind, compassionate, eager to help, you get along with me-and I, myself, will admit that that's not the easiest thing to do. I've spoken with the captain. If you want, you can begin training to be Paris' backup. Or better yet, his replacement." He added the last with a mock irritability. Saria smiled eagerly. 


End file.
